The present invention relates to burial caskets and, in particular, to the dish or puffing positioned in the interior of a casket cap or lid.
The interior of a burial casket is typically lined with a covering material, e.g., an upholstered fabric lining material. In the interior of the casket cap or lid, this lining material is often secured to or mounted on a dish which has traditionally comprised a central panel surrounded by a framing. The dish is commonly referred to as "puffing". The upholstery is available in a variety of colors and patterns. The dish is generally of cardboard or chip board construction, and consists of a plurality of parts physically secured together to form a shaped body generally conforming to the shape of the interior of the casket lid.
In the past, mounting the fabric-lined casket dish to the casket lid has been a difficult, time-consuming and expensive procedure. Prior techniques for accomplishing placement of the casket dish have involved, e.g., stapling or otherwise securing a plastic channel into a cooperating groove or channel formed in the rim of the casket lid or cap. After insertion of the plastic channel into the lid, the edges or flaps of the casket dish were inserted into the plastic channel. To insure that the casket dish was retained in the casket lid, a gimp, i.e., a generally cylindrical-shaped rope-like strip typically formed of rubber or paper, was then pressed into the channel.
The use of a gimp to secure the casket dish in the lid often results in misalignment of the dish and an uneven appearance in locations along the channel where the gimp is improperly seated. The problems associated with using a system of the type described above are multiplied when it is realized that it is often desirable to change the interior of a casket prior to use. Once installed in the casket, the interior (including the fabric-lined dish) must be removed and the new interior installed by a funeral director or other representative. While attempts have been made to eliminate the need for using a gimp in the insertion of the casket dish, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,608, or to permit insertion of dish using only retainer clips, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,085, such attempts have not resulted in an accurate procedure for securely inserting and converting casket lid interiors which can be easily and quickly accomplished with a minimum of cost.
It is, therefore, desirable and an object of the present invention to provide a burial casket having a casket dish which can be accurately aligned and securely inserted into a casket lid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a burial casket having a casket dish which can be inserted into a casket lid without the use of a gimp.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a burial casket having a casket dish inserted into a casket lid and presenting a finished, decorative appearance.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting channel for securing an insert in a corresponding channel.